Why Is The Maverick So Cool? My Take.

[Deleted member 5352]

Honestly, I have a better word to describe the Maverick: unique. This truck is not set up like any other pickup out there. It's smaller and it has so much more personality than the competition. One good example is all the different colors and patterns used in the interior. Take the XLT trim as an example. A typical pickup has an all black or black/grey interior which is pretty boring. However, the Maverick has a mix of blue, orange, off-white, and brown if you get the Lariat trim. This was one of the selling points for my Maverick: the character. I absolutely love all the different colors and textures used to make this vehicle more unique than the competition. They are by no means expensive materials but Ford did their best to make cheap materials look cool and unique while keeping the price down.

I do very much agree with the coolness factor for the Maverick in regards to the common public. Most of us Maverick owners get stopped wherever we go and asked questions about pricing, fuel economy, and just overall how we feel about it. Not too many cheap vehicles can offer those parking lot conversations. No one approaches an equivalent 2022 Toyota Corolla LE and starts asking about the driving impressions or pricing. It's just another humdrum economy car. However, the Maverick is a compact pickup that's been missing from our market for over a decade and people who grew up with the original compacts are immediately drawn to them and welcome them back into our market. It also has an easily identifiable shape to it. You know it's a pickup when you see it, it's just a little smaller than what we're used to. That was another selling point: the size. I don't need a full-size or even a mid-size pickup to get my jobs done. A compact will do just fine.

Sponsored

 

[MLA62563]

While much of it's cool factor is subjective, I agree with most of that. However I take exception to the comment about the 2.5's comparison to a Mustang GT of 20 years ago regarding 0-60. Let's go further back when I was driving my two-tone "88 5.0 with a 5-speed manual and limited slip differential. I never put it on a dyno or actually measured it off the line to 60 but the damn thing was fast and at around 4000 rpm was really at the sweet spot of torque and acceleration. Of course that proves nothing but the following facts pretty much do: The '88 GT 5.0 hatchback had a curb weight of 2800 lbs and a hp rating of 225 with a power/weight ratio of 0.80 hp/10 lbs. Torque was also around 300 lb/ft. Compare that to the '22 Maverick 2.5 turbo which at 3600 lbs pushed by 250 hp yields a P/W ratio of 0.70 hp/ 10 lbs. It doesn't sound like much but it makes the '88 GT the undisputed champion in that race. Just saying.

Yeah, I had an '88 LX 5.0 5-speed back in the day, and it was around 6 seconds 0-60. I gotta say it's impressive that the Eco Boost Maverick is pretty close to that with it's 2 liter engine and superior gas mileage. However.....the competition would have been totally over once you got beyond 60 MPH. That thing was WAY too fast for it's own good.
On a related note, a friend had one of those SVO Mustangs with the turbo engine at the same time, and he used to boast that it would come pretty close to keeping up. Well yeah, it did (again, up to sixty or so), but the way it had to thrash itself into a frenzy to do so really put me off. Seemed too much like equipment abuse. I used to call my friend's ride "Screaming Mimi"...which irritated him, but pretty much summed it up. I much prefer willing, easygoing power then...and now.

 

[uh50]

"Oh dude, a Ford Maverick! You got one!" my neighbor exclaimed. "Those things are so cool! Can I check it out?" About that time, a pizza delivery guy showed up and handed a steaming hot pie to my neighbor. "Aw, well, maybe next time then? I'm really thinking about ordering one."

I'm 32 years old. I grew up in a period of distinctively exciting automotive advancement - the "200mph" wars, if you will. I lusted after such greats as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, The Lamborghini Diablo SV and the Ferrari F50, the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the Corvette C5 Z06, and yes - the unparalleled cool of the legendary McLaren F1. I played the Need for Speed games; I played Gran Turismo; I played Forza. I didn't play Test Drive (did anybody play Test Drive?). All that hype and lust for speed came to a head in 2005 with the Bugatti Veyron - the undisputed king of speed.

At the time, I didn't realize that was the end.

Not of speed, mind you - Hypercars were and still are designed and built, and they put almost unimaginable performance numbers down. No, it was the end of the excitement. The hype. The sheer thrill of competitive vehicular engineering. It's not that I wouldn't act like a kid at Christmas to take the latest and greatest by McLaren or Bugatti or Porsche or Ferrari out for a spin - I absolutely would - but the truth is that even the most ideal of locations and conditions are too restrictive for the raw power of these vehicular monstrosities. And once every manufacturer has a car that can lap the Nurbringring faster than a Kirk Hammett guitar solo, then who (besides the engineering team) really cares?

But that's when I noticed something interesting happen - and it's something I've noticed in the tech world, too. As the technology and capability of the high-end of a certain market has so far exceeded the demand of the average consumer that it no longer holds any legitimate appeal, the low-end of that market starts to rise. It's not interesting that your 1.2 million-dollar hypercar does 250 mph, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, and holds 1.05 G's in the corner. What is interesting is when your $20,000 bread-and-butter family car raises the bar for what you should expect from that side of the market.

Enter the Ford Maverick. I've been saying for years - my first car was a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, 4-cylinder, a 5-speed, and all the luxury features of a Fisher Price tricycle - that the market was screaming for a stripped-down, no-nonsense, DIY-weekend-warrior, genuinely little truck. The midsize truck market has long been the "entry point" into the pickup truck market, and yet many of those are still oversized bro-dozers that could fit a '95 Ranger in the bed in case of a breakdown. I was surprised when Ford announced the exact vehicle I had been complaining that we needed all along. In September of 2021, I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one.

The little blue XL turbo that arrived cost me about $23,600 before all applicable taxes and fees (and the questionable addition of "nitrogen" in the tires for a cool Benjamin). Accounting for inflation, that's just about $1,500 more than the '95 Ranger I ground my first gears on. What did that money get me? It got me a powerful motor putting out 250 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist, but got a whopping 27.9mpg on it's maiden voyage in mixed driving - measured at the pump. It got me a cavernous cabin with enough space for my family to travel in comfortably. It got me excellent road manners and surprisingly engaging driving dynamics. It got me a smaller-than-standard but still very usable and spacious bed. It got me technology that would have been a wishlist for luxury vehicles just 12 years ago (and manual mirrors, but you can't have it all, I guess).

But the Maverick is more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's "cool" that it can zero-to-sixty faster than a Mustang GT from 20 years ago. Sure, it's "cool" that it's a truck that will get you small-car fuel efficiency. Sure, it's "cool" that it has car-like handling and will navigate a backroad with eagerness and athleticism rather than the typical laziness of a traditional pickup. But it's also not exactly a zero-compromise vehicle - the audio system is almost shockingly low-fi, the dash has zero soundproofing, the suspension and ride is firm, and the materials - while cleverly designed to be both cheap and cheerful - definitely communicate its low price tag.

No, it's cool because it raises the bar for its market position. It's a vehicle that's actually attainable to most people with a little bit of elbow grease and financial discipline. It's a vehicle that gives people the versatility and practically they really need without sacrificing the driving characteristics and fuel efficiency they really want. Is it for everybody? Of course not! A vehicle's "practicality" can only be measured by the driver, and if that driver needs to tow a horse trailer or cart 4 small children around, the Mav just ain't it. But when literally everything in the same price bracket looks like it's not even trying when compared to the Maverick? It starts to look really, genuinely "cool."

Do you want a brand new mid-trim Elantra or a ten-year-old Tacoma? Now, you can just choose the Maverick. That's cool.

Oh, and it's a ute. Utes are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a Baja owner with a head gasket problem.

Very well said. Love your write up as it shows ingenuity and well placed logic.

 

[TorqueWrenchUSA]

As a fellow Miata owner, If your nephew wants to rip down the track a little faster. I have a solution for him. I love about 40min from kil-kare.

One of the reasons I got the Maverick is for it's versatility. After doing some rough math, I'm hoping to be able to haul my Miata on a trailer to places such as tail of the dragon or mid-ohio raceway.

 

[Stealth Raccoon]

My first car was a diesel 1982 Toyota pickup, single cab long bed. Small, simple and basic - but entirely useful. I had to add the stereo and speakers, and patch some holes, but it worked.
The Maverick is cool because it's getting back to a simpler concept and packaging idea - simple, compact, utility.

What is cool is both the hybrid and the ecoboost both offer different experiences from the same chassis, and all for very reasonable (VERY reasonable) prices.

 

[Eagle11]

Love this great post.

I have wanted a smaller truck for a while, didn't want to spend 30K+ for one. When I saw the Maverick and price, I was sold. So far it has been great.

I have been stopped by 11 people, 3 neighbors have geeked out on mine. 2 construction workers stopped me and wanted to chat about it, and the rest have been at the grocery store. This truck has gotten more attention than some of my past cars.

Received my license in 1978, my first vehicle was a 1977 Datsun King Cab truck with a 5 spd manual. I LOVED that truck I kept it for 10 yrs and put over 200K miles on it, I lost count on how many water pumps I replaced in it, and 1 clutch. My next car was a 1986 Mustang SVO, with a 2.3l turbocharged engine (200hp), it was a blast to drive when it was running correctly.

Since then I have owned many high-performance cars, Porsche 944 Turbo S, A couple of MB AMG, BMW M cars (still have my M5), dabbled in the Ferrari world (never again) but always wanted a compact truck again. Never liked the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma would have been nice, but trying to buy one, one would have thought they were in a Porsche dealer.

I can see the price point of the Maverick, and it works well. I would have liked to see some other features bundled in a package other than the Lux package.

 

[rognus]

The real fear for me, for future Maverick editions is that they take the standard approach and grow bigger with every new model! If you look at history that is the normal generational approach.
Take a look at the "mini" truck, the mid-size truck, and even a full size truck!
I was next to a full size behemoth truck the other day on the street and really couldn't believe the size of it. Imagine trying to u-turn on a blvd. at a stop light. They have to take about three tries
I'm 77 and have no desire to drive an 18 wheeler or a bus. I'm beginning to think that some of these drivers need a CDL license to drive on city streets.
I absolutely love my XLT hybrid. I find any excuse to go for a drive and I've had it since December!

 

[Matso]

Whoops, my mistake. I was of course referring to the 2.0 ecoboost in the post, not the 2.5. Just had to post something about something as my hybrid has reached "paired" status on the rail. That should mean "dispatched" is only a few days to a week away followed by you got it......delivered! It's only been nine months so what the hell. The baby will only be about a week overdue. Happens all the time. I just hope it's not all covered in smegma.

 

[DesertMav]

"Oh dude, a Ford Maverick! You got one!" my neighbor exclaimed. "Those things are so cool! Can I check it out?" About that time, a pizza delivery guy showed up and handed a steaming hot pie to my neighbor. "Aw, well, maybe next time then? I'm really thinking about ordering one."

I'm 32 years old. I grew up in a period of distinctively exciting automotive advancement - the "200mph" wars, if you will. I lusted after such greats as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, The Lamborghini Diablo SV and the Ferrari F50, the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the Corvette C5 Z06, and yes - the unparalleled cool of the legendary McLaren F1. I played the Need for Speed games; I played Gran Turismo; I played Forza. I didn't play Test Drive (did anybody play Test Drive?). All that hype and lust for speed came to a head in 2005 with the Bugatti Veyron - the undisputed king of speed.

At the time, I didn't realize that was the end.

Not of speed, mind you - Hypercars were and still are designed and built, and they put almost unimaginable performance numbers down. No, it was the end of the excitement. The hype. The sheer thrill of competitive vehicular engineering. It's not that I wouldn't act like a kid at Christmas to take the latest and greatest by McLaren or Bugatti or Porsche or Ferrari out for a spin - I absolutely would - but the truth is that even the most ideal of locations and conditions are too restrictive for the raw power of these vehicular monstrosities. And once every manufacturer has a car that can lap the Nurbringring faster than a Kirk Hammett guitar solo, then who (besides the engineering team) really cares?

But that's when I noticed something interesting happen - and it's something I've noticed in the tech world, too. As the technology and capability of the high-end of a certain market has so far exceeded the demand of the average consumer that it no longer holds any legitimate appeal, the low-end of that market starts to rise. It's not interesting that your 1.2 million-dollar hypercar does 250 mph, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, and holds 1.05 G's in the corner. What is interesting is when your $20,000 bread-and-butter family car raises the bar for what you should expect from that side of the market.

Enter the Ford Maverick. I've been saying for years - my first car was a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, 4-cylinder, a 5-speed, and all the luxury features of a Fisher Price tricycle - that the market was screaming for a stripped-down, no-nonsense, DIY-weekend-warrior, genuinely little truck. The midsize truck market has long been the "entry point" into the pickup truck market, and yet many of those are still oversized bro-dozers that could fit a '95 Ranger in the bed in case of a breakdown. I was surprised when Ford announced the exact vehicle I had been complaining that we needed all along. In September of 2021, I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one.

The little blue XL turbo that arrived cost me about $23,600 before all applicable taxes and fees (and the questionable addition of "nitrogen" in the tires for a cool Benjamin). Accounting for inflation, that's just about $1,500 more than the '95 Ranger I ground my first gears on. What did that money get me? It got me a powerful motor putting out 250 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist, but got a whopping 27.9mpg on it's maiden voyage in mixed driving - measured at the pump. It got me a cavernous cabin with enough space for my family to travel in comfortably. It got me excellent road manners and surprisingly engaging driving dynamics. It got me a smaller-than-standard but still very usable and spacious bed. It got me technology that would have been a wishlist for luxury vehicles just 12 years ago (and manual mirrors, but you can't have it all, I guess).

But the Maverick is more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's "cool" that it can zero-to-sixty faster than a Mustang GT from 20 years ago. Sure, it's "cool" that it's a truck that will get you small-car fuel efficiency. Sure, it's "cool" that it has car-like handling and will navigate a backroad with eagerness and athleticism rather than the typical laziness of a traditional pickup. But it's also not exactly a zero-compromise vehicle - the audio system is almost shockingly low-fi, the dash has zero soundproofing, the suspension and ride is firm, and the materials - while cleverly designed to be both cheap and cheerful - definitely communicate its low price tag.

No, it's cool because it raises the bar for its market position. It's a vehicle that's actually attainable to most people with a little bit of elbow grease and financial discipline. It's a vehicle that gives people the versatility and practically they really need without sacrificing the driving characteristics and fuel efficiency they really want. Is it for everybody? Of course not! A vehicle's "practicality" can only be measured by the driver, and if that driver needs to tow a horse trailer or cart 4 small children around, the Mav just ain't it. But when literally everything in the same price bracket looks like it's not even trying when compared to the Maverick? It starts to look really, genuinely "cool."

Do you want a brand new mid-trim Elantra or a ten-year-old Tacoma? Now, you can just choose the Maverick. That's cool.

Oh, and it's a ute. Utes are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a Baja owner with a head gasket problem.

I am also another "Millennial" in their early 30s that is looking for a new vehicle for the first time in nearly 10 years. I paid off and I am keeping my current car, which is also another great budget marvel of modern times, the Scion FRS. The new generation of it is now around $30k and most sporty cars that I tend to gravitate to are in the mid-30k to mid-40k range. Even the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra are in the same price range as the Maverick. Before getting my FRS, I had a 2012 Ford Fusion with the 2.5L 4cyl motor that the is still used for hybrid setups today such as the Maverick Hybrid. I haven't received any updates on my Maverick for the last few months, but I am holding out for now. I am hoping to get some updates on it sooner rather than later, but I am a patient person. The Maverick to me is cool for the fact that it checks off so many boxes for what 90% of people would use them for. I happen to live in an area where people to actually have legitimate uses for big trucks, but 2/3 of the people that have them don't really use them for anything more than to show off. Also, as someone that is a fairly average/below average height, I find it crazy how tall and high up the tailgates of gotten for trucks. My father's 15 year old Tacoma is a great height, but a new F-150 or Ram is absolutely insane. Even the midsize trucks have a much taller load height than I could use. The Maverick is just about perfect in terms of the load height.

 

[Mach E CP]

"Oh dude, a Ford Maverick! You got one!" my neighbor exclaimed. "Those things are so cool! Can I check it out?" About that time, a pizza delivery guy showed up and handed a steaming hot pie to my neighbor. "Aw, well, maybe next time then? I'm really thinking about ordering one."

I'm 32 years old. I grew up in a period of distinctively exciting automotive advancement - the "200mph" wars, if you will. I lusted after such greats as the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, The Lamborghini Diablo SV and the Ferrari F50, the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the Corvette C5 Z06, and yes - the unparalleled cool of the legendary McLaren F1. I played the Need for Speed games; I played Gran Turismo; I played Forza. I didn't play Test Drive (did anybody play Test Drive?). All that hype and lust for speed came to a head in 2005 with the Bugatti Veyron - the undisputed king of speed.

At the time, I didn't realize that was the end.

Not of speed, mind you - Hypercars were and still are designed and built, and they put almost unimaginable performance numbers down. No, it was the end of the excitement. The hype. The sheer thrill of competitive vehicular engineering. It's not that I wouldn't act like a kid at Christmas to take the latest and greatest by McLaren or Bugatti or Porsche or Ferrari out for a spin - I absolutely would - but the truth is that even the most ideal of locations and conditions are too restrictive for the raw power of these vehicular monstrosities. And once every manufacturer has a car that can lap the Nurbringring faster than a Kirk Hammett guitar solo, then who (besides the engineering team) really cares?

But that's when I noticed something interesting happen - and it's something I've noticed in the tech world, too. As the technology and capability of the high-end of a certain market has so far exceeded the demand of the average consumer that it no longer holds any legitimate appeal, the low-end of that market starts to rise. It's not interesting that your 1.2 million-dollar hypercar does 250 mph, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds, and holds 1.05 G's in the corner. What is interesting is when your $20,000 bread-and-butter family car raises the bar for what you should expect from that side of the market.

Enter the Ford Maverick. I've been saying for years - my first car was a 1995 Ford Ranger XLT, 4-cylinder, a 5-speed, and all the luxury features of a Fisher Price tricycle - that the market was screaming for a stripped-down, no-nonsense, DIY-weekend-warrior, genuinely little truck. The midsize truck market has long been the "entry point" into the pickup truck market, and yet many of those are still oversized bro-dozers that could fit a '95 Ranger in the bed in case of a breakdown. I was surprised when Ford announced the exact vehicle I had been complaining that we needed all along. In September of 2021, I put my money where my mouth was and ordered one.

The little blue XL turbo that arrived cost me about $23,600 before all applicable taxes and fees (and the questionable addition of "nitrogen" in the tires for a cool Benjamin). Accounting for inflation, that's just about $1,500 more than the '95 Ranger I ground my first gears on. What did that money get me? It got me a powerful motor putting out 250 horses and 277 lb-ft of twist, but got a whopping 27.9mpg on it's maiden voyage in mixed driving - measured at the pump. It got me a cavernous cabin with enough space for my family to travel in comfortably. It got me excellent road manners and surprisingly engaging driving dynamics. It got me a smaller-than-standard but still very usable and spacious bed. It got me technology that would have been a wishlist for luxury vehicles just 12 years ago (and manual mirrors, but you can't have it all, I guess).

But the Maverick is more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, it's "cool" that it can zero-to-sixty faster than a Mustang GT from 20 years ago. Sure, it's "cool" that it's a truck that will get you small-car fuel efficiency. Sure, it's "cool" that it has car-like handling and will navigate a backroad with eagerness and athleticism rather than the typical laziness of a traditional pickup. But it's also not exactly a zero-compromise vehicle - the audio system is almost shockingly low-fi, the dash has zero soundproofing, the suspension and ride is firm, and the materials - while cleverly designed to be both cheap and cheerful - definitely communicate its low price tag.

No, it's cool because it raises the bar for its market position. It's a vehicle that's actually attainable to most people with a little bit of elbow grease and financial discipline. It's a vehicle that gives people the versatility and practically they really need without sacrificing the driving characteristics and fuel efficiency they really want. Is it for everybody? Of course not! A vehicle's "practicality" can only be measured by the driver, and if that driver needs to tow a horse trailer or cart 4 small children around, the Mav just ain't it. But when literally everything in the same price bracket looks like it's not even trying when compared to the Maverick? It starts to look really, genuinely "cool."

Do you want a brand new mid-trim Elantra or a ten-year-old Tacoma? Now, you can just choose the Maverick. That's cool.

Oh, and it's a ute. Utes are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a Baja owner with a head gasket problem.

Great post on entry segment excitement as compared to supercar segment excitement! Never heard it that way!

My first truck was also a 1995 Ranger XLT s/c 4 cyl manual.

 

[Dad]

Well written and a perfect description of why the Maverick is so popular.

 

[Hoagus]

Other “cool” cars were an SRT-4, C6, Ram SST Pace Truck, Mini Cooper S, spec ‘93 Miata LE, and others

what about the Pacer? Did you forget the Pacer?

 

[Hoagus]

The real fear for me, for future Maverick editions is that they take the standard approach and grow bigger with every new model! If you look at history that is the normal generational approach.

The original Ranger stayed small until it was discontinued. One of the few to have done so. The Mav is already 3” wider than the old Ranger. I’m going to miss that 3”.

 

[uh50]

what about the Pacer? Did you forget the Pacer?

Or the Gremlin!

 

[AutobahnSHO]

I honestly think the Maverick is the same as the original Ford Taurus- a turning point.

The value and utility matched with the price point are unbeatable. There are some tradeoffs of course- cheapness in some areas (interior, wire cover behind rear seat, and others). I'm kind of surprised there's been little hate over production outside of the US/Canada, but that is going to gain traction as long as Ford can make profit doing so.

The Taurus was the first car in the US with plastic headlights- which changed cars in the US forever. If you remember the round or square headlights which were mandatory before, you know. The word "aerodynamics" became a thing. Standard features in the Taurus compared to a car before were amazing.

Oh and talking about the "potent Ford Mustang V-8" of back then- the Taurus SHO model was revolutionary in price, performance, and "Above 100 mph, the aerodynamically superior SHO steadily pulls away from the Mustang."
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15142141/1989-ford-taurus-sho-road-test-review/

I would call the Maverick a "breakthrough car" just like the Taurus SHO, Mustang, 240z, and Accord listed in the article.

Sponsored